Židan said Slovenia's initiative for World Bee Day was an important contribution to the efforts to feed the entire global population, as pollinators play a key role in food production.

By initiating the declaration of World Bee Day, Slovenia has also taken on the responsibility to raise awareness of the importance of honeybees and other pollinators, and introduce measures to protect them in the face of pollution, environmental degradation and climate change, he said.

The head of the Beekeepers' Association, Boštjan Noč, labelled the World Bee Day project a "great recognition to the Slovenian beekeeping", which Slovenia was known for world-wide.

He said though that efforts to protect bees should not end here. "We must do all we can for bees to be declared an endangered species," he said.

President Borut Pahor and Prime Minister Marjan Šarec were initially scheduled to attend the ceremony, but their attendance was later cancelled. The event was, however, attended by the President of the National Council, Alojz Kovšca and Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec.

World Bee Day was declared by the UN General Assembly on 20 December 2017, about three years after the idea was first floated in Slovenia. It is celebrated on 20 May, the birthday of Slovenian beekeeping pioneer Anton Janša.

Last week the government set up an inter-ministerial task force to coordinate and plan the country's activities in line with the World Bee Day initiative until 2022.